Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
If there starting to advertise the upgrading of there vehicles to Gold Service Standard then introduction can not be that far away .

This is something that has been needed for a while , oh what a turn round from the mess that First Group left them behind .

[gka472l]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(18/08/2015 19:44)wirralbus Wrote:  If there starting to advertise the upgrading of there vehicles to Gold Service Standard then introduction can not be that far away .

This is something that has been needed for a while , oh what a turn round from the mess that First Group left them behind .

The Gold Enviro300's for Rock Ferry (27255-72) follow on numerically from the ones about to be delivered to Stockton (27238-54), which will be 65 plates, so yes, can't be far off at all.

HTH

[Scania1996]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(15/08/2015 04:25)gka472l Wrote:  17066 is destined for Stagecoach South West and the former First Plymouth operation after repaint at Rock Ferry.

HTH

17066 has been reported back at Wigan today

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
I was fortunate enough to spend a few hours this lunch time in a pub in Neston and was able to observe the X22 passing by. For the life of me I can't understand why Stagecoach is withdrawing this service. I saw four buses in total, two operating in each direction, and all four had 25+ passengers on them. If this is typical on a wet Wednesday afternoon, I wonder what Stagecoach considers to be profitable loadings. My only other experience of the X22 was last year when the departure from Chester to Neston left with a standing load. No doubt these same passengers appreciate the fact that Avon are willing to take over this service with a lower profit margin.

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Barney , another thing to ask is how many of them are actually paying a commercial fare and are not using a Disabled/ Pensioners Bus Pass during the daytime .

My experience out of Chester is the X22 and its previous incarnations all leave with a very decent load and by Neston Cross have lost the vast majority of passengers .

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(19/08/2015 18:48)wirralbus Wrote:  Barney , another thing to ask is how many of them are actually paying a commercial fare and are not using a Disabled/ Pensioners Bus Pass during the daytime .

My experience out of Chester is the X22 and its previous incarnations all leave with a very decent load and by Neston Cross have lost the vast majority of passengers .

All of the buses I saw carried a mixed load and with modern ticket technology it should be easy to ascertain the passenger profile. There were a few grey heads on these services but also a fair few mothers with children. Are you are suggesting that bus companies can't make a profit because they are expected to carry the elderly and the disabled? If you follow that logic then ALL passengers, including school children aged 5-16, should pay the full adult fare. That policy was adopted briefly by some operators shortly after deregulation but was quickly reduced to a two thirds fare. Compare that to Arriva's recent decision to allow students up to the age of 18 to pay half fare, roughly the amount of remuneration that it receives for accepting passes.

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(19/08/2015 19:46)Barney Wrote:  Are you are suggesting that bus companies can't make a profit because they are expected to carry the elderly and the disabled?

The renumeration to operators from the ENCTS is calculated on the basis that "no operator shall be worse off". In essence that means that the money received by operators is enough (theoretically) for a service to break even, but not make a profit if all passengers were using passes. In practice however its more likely that such a service would make a loss.

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
The Chester - Heswall as it is now , but previously West Kirby or Meols service has always been the poor relation .

Route tinkerings to start the service at Heswall , then meandering around Neston and omitting Willaston couldn't have helped .

I remember in the old days when the C22 and its poor cousin C23 used to start in Meols , come directly to Heswall no meandering anywhere C22 went via Parkgate and the C23 continued and went down Liverpool Road to Neston , C23 then made its way back to Chester High Road via Hinderton Road , while the C22 went onto call at Ness , Burton and Puddington while the C23 went to Willaston and back on to the Chester High Road , oh and in those days both services operated via Mollington on the way into Chester.

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(19/08/2015 19:53)mbonwick Wrote:  The renumeration to operators from the ENCTS is calculated on the basis that "no operator shall be worse off". In essence that means that the money received by operators is enough (theoretically) for a service to break even, but not make a profit if all passengers were using passes. In practice however its more likely that such a service would make a loss.

As I posted, it had a mixed load. Are there any commercial routes that only carry concessions?

Yesterday I bussed it from Ormskirk to Chorley with five friends - only one of whom had a ENCTS - where Stagecoach is the major operator. The buses that left Chorley bus station seemed to have a far higher proportion of concessionary passes. Is it that Lancashire CC pay a higher rate of remuneration than Cheshire West?

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
I doubt there's any commercial routes that carry only concessions, my point was more that ENCTS passengers do not generate any profit for the operator - so for all intents and purposes they may as well not exist.

I have no idea of the difference (if any) in renumeration rate between LCC and Cheshire West. Don't forget that route profitability depends on other factors, such as overall fares level, usage, driver wages etc etc. The services you say may be well loaded with fare paying passengers at peak times (or they may be LCC supported).

What I'm trying to say is that loads of ENCTS passes aren't the be-all and end-all in determining the survival or not of a route - but they don't help anything.